Pacific Crest Trail : Sierra City to Belden

Miles this section : 89
Miles completed : 1284

I do like me a good trail sign.

I do the hero days thing once again at Sierra City, it seems to work... breakfast is the usual pancakes and coffee, and I have time to order trekking poles again - Walmart at least gave me a refund - delivery to a resort this time, fingers crossed.  There were new boots in my food box, this is good, the snow boots are a bit broken after the Sierras, really I cannot blame them.  The new ones seem flimsy, I have to remind myself that the similar shoes I started with lasted well.

I walk eleven miles in the afternoon, Sierra City was at a bit over four thousand feet so it's all uphill, but this is no problem for me with no snow.  The brakes are off now, and my body is recovering from the Sierras, the toe is returning to normal, wounds are healing over, even my lip is better.  I walk up, down, over fallen trees, I'm enjoying the woods now, the trail has a soft surface of dirt and pine needles, and yes, there is still just a little snow, but it is no more than a minor annoyance now, rather than a big 'adds two or three hours to the day' problem.  I make camp before seven, and even build a fire, my first in ages.

Vultures circling?  Not much meat on me, guys...

I pass many people going south, they have skipped past the Sierras, and are now heading back to do them southbound, this seems very sensible compared to what I have done.  Also heading south, the first horse rider I've seen doing the trail - apparently he meets his wife, and changes horses, every twenty-five miles or so.  Another sign of things returning to normal - trail angels!  Anne and Lionel provide me with many hot dogs, and even a bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale - the only English beer that seems to have any presence in the market here, and I think it tastes better than the original version.  This does make for a delay though, I am aiming for twenty-four miles today, so, good to get to a long downhill section, to below three thousand feet in fact, the lowest I've been for a month at least.  The only difficulty is the large number of fallen trees on the trail, but still I make it to camp for 7:30pm, all good.  It is so warm down here!

A view of the North Fork Feather River.

There's a long slog up the other side of the canyon of course, but compared to snow this is still easy mode - I don't hesitate to walk three miles off trail to a lakeside resort, well worth it for proper food, burger and beer of course.  The next day sees more lovely ridge walking, and many hikers both north and southbound, some I recognise from back in southern California.  Then another long descent, Belden is at only just over two thousand feet, practically underwater!  No matter, there is cheap beer and cheap food - fish and chips even!  About time for a zero day I should say, the first in over three hundred miles...

Hmm, doesn't have an engine...

Photos to go with this post can be found here.